WOMEN IN BUSINESS: Cindy Hill-Rennie

Cindy Hill-Rennie was just a little girl when she discovered her passion for music.
"My earliest memory is of my sister going to piano lessons when she was 8 and I was 4.
"She would come home and I would say 'what did you learn? Show me', and I would copy."
It was the start of a life-long love of music for the Te Puke woman, who teaches piano, keyboard, guitar, ukulele, recorder, marimba, harmonica, singing and music theory and also plays the bagpipes.
But teaching pupils aged from 4 to 82, Mrs Hill-Rennie realised that many struggled with the theory of music.
"As I kept playing and teaching music, I always found that people would have problems. A lot of people have played music for years, they haven't learned [theory] about music and how it all relates and to me, how easy it is. I wanted to help people and get them on to sharing music."
Mrs Hill-Rennie had been taught about the key-cycle - a 12-point "clock" that illustrates the 12 keys of music.
Using that theory, she devised the key-cycle disc as a tool to help musicians transpose and compose music and gain a better understanding of it.
"I had the idea when I was at the swimming pool one day watching my kids swimming. I thought it would be really cool to have the key cycle on a watch so you always have that information with you when you are playing and put it on a disc.
"There's still too many musicians out there who don't have this stuff.
"It's the basic music theory you should know. A lot of people haven't understood how it relates and you can use it. By putting it on a spinning disc you realise how it can be used and it makes more sense."
Mrs Hill-Rennie invented the disc in 2002 and a year later published a 51-page book explaining how to use it.
Now, she has launched a website, which she hopes will take the disc to the world.
While she's had good sales when she is able to explain the disc to people, she "can't be everywhere".
The website allows her to explain it via a demonstration video clip.
By using the key cycle, a pattern in the music becomes apparent.
"By analysing other music and comparing it ... you are better able to see how it's been composed and are in a better position to compose music yourself. I'm trying to make it easy for people."
In some ways the key-cycle is "the ultimate jam guide" - as understanding it is key to playing with other musicians.
"It's a simple bit of knowledge. You've got to know something about music theory to play well with other people. It's really fun playing with other people. I want to share that passion."
Mrs Hill-Rennie believes the key-cycle disc could be sold all over the world - music is a universal language which crosses cultural barriers. She can be found most Sundays playing "jam sessions" at the Funky Lizard cafe in Paengaroa.
She plays keyboard with the band Terra Firma, which she describes as "original Kiwi rock" in style. The band has released a CD and has a second planned.
While she loves playing other people's music, Mrs Hill-Rennie also loves composing her own.
"It's the ultimate. It's like reading - it's really good to read others people's work or stories but it's pretty good to be able to write your own book and create you own."
So far Mrs Hill-Rennie has sold 300 of the $36 key-cycle discs, many of those to tertiary institutions. "I've gained in confidence because it is a good product."
To learn more about the key-cycle disc go to www.key-cycle.co.nz